Feminism and Pop Culture
Rakow believes that contemporary feminists share assumptions--one of which states, "women have a particular relationship to popular culture that is different than men's" (136). After reading the chapter on feminism and pop culture, respond to this statement. What, do you believe, is this "particular" relationship? How is it different than men's? What does this mean to feminists? Use the sub-categories as support for your response (women at the cinema, reading romance, watching Dallas, reading women's magazines, men's studies and masculinities, and/or queer theory). Don't be afraid to use a category that might not seem that obvious to help your response along (i.e. men's studies). You should also use direct quotes as part of your evidence. Pull in examples that you have seen from your own life and those around you.
Remember that the blog is informal and free.
Your response should be 250-400 words. And make sure to dialogue with one another.
Due: Class time on Monday, September 18, 2012.
I would very much agree that women have a particular (and somewhat special) relationship to popular culture. However, though it is obvious that this relationship exists, I believe that it is quite difficult, if not impossible, to define because of the fact that this relationship is unique to each individual woman. Personally, I view popular culture in a similar manner to that of Ien Ang. When I take the time to watch a romantic comedy, read a novel, or catch up on my favorite television show, it is usually to give myself a break from real life and delve into fantasy world for a few brief hours. As Ang stated, “an imaginary participation in the fictional world is experienced as pleasurable,” meaning that the fact that these facets of popular culture aren’t real is what makes them appealing (149). I feel that many women view popular culture in this way; as an escape from the hardships of everyday living into a more idealistic world. Popular culture then becomes something that women participate in for themselves rather than for others, which seems to conflict with the idea of the “female self as a self in relation to others” as described by Nancy Chodorow (143). In my opinion, this is where the true appeal of popular culture lies - in its ability to allow women to escape from the pressures and responsibilities of daily life and believe (if only for a short while) in the fantastic images and stories they are presented with. Ang describes this phenomenon as such: “Fiction and fantasy, then, function by making life in the present pleasurable,” or in other words, giving women a sort of alternate reality to turn to when they need time to themselves (152).
ReplyDeleteMany feminists do not react positively to this interpretation of the relationship between women and popular culture because of the fact that women obtain pleasure from something that is not always realistic. As Ang mentions, elements of popular culture are often "identified negatively as an example of mass culture" (149). Within this statement, Ang is describing an aversion to pop culture felt by many feminists because of the fact that it is "mass" ideological culture. To feminists, those who participate in it are "seen as the passive victims of the deceptive messages of soap operas," people who have been fooled into believing these fantasies rather than choosing to believe in them (152). I personally disagree with this viewpoint very much, and feel as Ang does that the pleasure of women need not be related to their liberation. A woman’s taste in television programming, or the fact that she like to read women’s magazines, does not necessarily imply that she is anti-feminist, or that she is an instrument of “mass culture.”
Though men also have a relationship with popular culture, I would say that it is not as personal as the one held by women. Within texts of popular culture, men are often represented in the “traditional” way, a concept namde by Antony Easthope the “masculine myth” (159). According to Easthope, it is difficult for men to “live completely outside the myth, since it pervades the culture. Its coercive power is active everywhere – not just on screens, hoardings and paper, but inside our own heads” (159). It is my belief that for this reason, men do not view popular culture as a refuge like women do, but simply something that has always been present and always will be.
Although women and men are of the same species (I think), their brains functions in many different ways, so it is really no surprise that women have a connection to popular culture that differs from men’s. I believe that this is in part due to the need for emotional outlets, and the fact that men and women find them in different places. I agree with what Meg said about escaping into pop culture, and how sometimes you just need to release all the problems of daily life and let yourself be pulled into the fantasy world of a movie, book, magazine, etc. Jackie Stacey had a similar point in regard to the cinema, saying that “Escapism is one of the most frequently cited reasons given by women for going to the cinema”(137). I also appreciate Stacey’s opinion that escapism is for both escaping out of one’s life struggles and escaping into something better (139).
ReplyDeleteHowever, I do not believe that escapism is the extent of the reason for women being so connected to pop culture. As Ang questions the appeal of a television show such as Dallas, she states, “It is the ability to make our own lives connect with the lives of a family of Texan millionaires that gives the program its emotional realism”(148). I agree with the statement completely, due to the fact that I myself am a television series addict. I have about 20 shows that I have seen every episode of, but my favorite shows are the ones that I can somehow relate to. Even if the plotline is dramatically different from my own life, I am still able to relate to many of the smaller issues that continuously pop up. The same is true for romance novels and magazines; many women are able to assimilate themselves into whatever world they find.
I also agree with Meg’s disagreement with Ang’s idea that in mass culture women are “seen as the passive victims of the deceptive messages of soap operas”(152). Choosing to read or watch something in which others have similar problems as yourself does not make you anti-feminist. It is not weak to want to relate to others, as states the well-known saying, “misery loves company.” The idea of hating something because “it is identified negatively as an example of mass culture”(149) makes for someone who can no longer relate to the general public. Whether or not something that becomes pop culture is “good” or “bad” it is still something that a large part of the world are interested in, and therefore connected to each other with.
Women often use these public outlets so that they do not feel alone in the world, but men often use individual outlets, that often do not relate to pop culture. As stated in Peter Schwenger’s words, “the real man thinks about practical matters rather than abstract ones and certainly does not brood upon himself or the nature of his sexuality”(159). In this thinking, men do not need to connect with others through pop culture and can instead put their emotions into physical matter. Whether this is natural for men or the idea has been forced on them, it still confirms the fact that men and women have different relationships with popular culture.
The female “relationship” to pop culture is very strong and pervasive because women naturally are much more socially driven than men. While I agree with Meg that pop culture is a means of escape, I have to side with Mackenzie that the relationship is much more involved than that. Women tend to band together more than men do, seeking common ground, advice and understanding. Pop culture is a way for women to fulfill this need for community. Women can find advice, gain insight and perspective, and find validation through pop culture. I think it is absolutely true that pop culture influences the way women live their lives, even if it is in a very subtle way.
ReplyDeleteAccording to men’s studies, the gender norm of masculinity requires that a true man is one who “thinks about practical matters…and certainly does not brood upon himself ” (159). According to these norms, men do not think critically about themselves the way women do. They receive validation independently of pop culture. Women, on the other hand, seek validation through others, what Janice Radway refers to as “ self-in-relation-to-others”(143). This means a woman values herself based on what she sees in those around her. Pop culture, therefore, holds more meaning for women as it helps them define who they are. According to feminists, the female relationship with pop culture promotes a patriarchal society and is damaging to their agendas.
Feminists see pop culture as regressive and a way for the media to enforce traditional patriarchal customs and make women content with submission. A key example of feminist perspectives on pop culture relates to romance novels. According to feminists, romance novels “adore male power” and advocate “passive” female sexuality (141). Feminists also believe that romance novels, and other forms of pop culture geared towards women create an environment in which women find “safety with dependence” (141). To feminists, pop culture runs in the opposite direction of their efforts to free women and make them as independently minded as men.
Unlike feminists, I don’t see the relationship women have with pop culture to be all bad. While there certainly are movies and books, like the movie The Proposal, in which the independent, I-don’t-need-a-man woman falls in love, I don’t think this viewpoint on pop culture is all-inclusive. Take for example, the movie Waitress. In the end, the woman divorces her husband and breaks up with her lover in order to open her own restaurant and raise her daughter in a healthy environment. This movie certainly doesn’t advocate female dependency. I think this is a good representation of how the feminist perspective focuses too narrowly on the theme of female passivity instead of seeing the whole picture.
Both men and women take in emotions differently and thus have different ways of expressing those emotions. Just like Meg and Mackenzie, I think it is with in pop culture that the majority of women tend to find an outlet. I think that the main focus of this particular relationship is escapism. According to Storey, “escapism is always... a two-way event... [women] were not only escaping into the luxury of the cinema... they were also escaping from the hardships and restrictions...” (139). The daily lives of each and every woman are so different and complex, so in order to relieve themselves from daily stresses, escaping from reality for just a few moments and into the realm of pop culture, is the solution. I know that my friends and I like to escape into the world of pop culture because we desire a little taste of fiction that we wish could somehow become reality in our own lives. We envy the love lives of celebrities and fictional characters, often times wondering if that will ever happen to us.
ReplyDeleteEscapism as the core of the relationship allows us to just drop everything going on in our lives for a bit and indulge in what is going on in other people’s lives, fictional or real because we are able to relate to them one way or another. Magazines have the same result, in which women are able to relate because they serve as “survival manuals, providing their readers with practical advice on how to survive in a patriarchal culture” (153) and “magazine advertisements, like the magazines themselves, therefore provide a terrain on which to dream” (154). This just allows some space for women to have a moment for themselves, to reflect and at times dream about their lives. Most feminists would not agree with this, as “even when pleasure is considered, it is there only to be condemned as an obstruction to the feminist goal of women’s liberation” (152). Even if a woman escapes into pop culture for just pure pleasure and not to relate or dream, feminist still disagree with the whole concept. Like Meg, I also disagree with this way of thinking because it should be about choice for one’s enjoyment and not the goal of women’s liberation.
Peter Schwenger states “for a man ‘to think about masculinity is to become less masculine oneself’” (159). Therefore, it is uncommon for men to have such a strong and noticeable relationship with pop culture since it appears to lower their status of masculinity if they attempt to relate themselves with it. I agree with Mackenzie that most men have other outlets that do not take part in pop culture, because I think there is a lot less for them to be able to relate to as the amount women have, thus making the relationship with pop culture different for women than it is for men.
I believe popular culture has created an escape for women. Meg made a great point when describing her own experiences she explained “it is usually to give myself a break from real life and delve into fantasy world for a few brief hours.” I completely agree with this. When I amerce myself in a good book or romantic comedy it takes me away from whatever is happening in my own life and lets me be somewhere else for a little bit. This can have an extremely positive effect on people that are going through hard times such as the British women of the 40’s and 50’s who “were not only escaping into the luxury of the cinema and the glamour of Hollywood film, they were also escaping from the hardships and the restrictions of wartime and post-war Britain” (139). I think women are constantly using this form of escape and watching romantic movies or reading novels that change their perspectives on life for just awhile if not forever.
ReplyDeleteIf not careful these perspectives can become one’s reality which I believe is what occurs. If something happens in popular culture and we are obsessed with it, a movie, or famous couple we may want that to become who we are. It changes our outlook on life as the article states, “It is from popular culture ‘that most people in our society get their entertainment and information’” (137). When discovered this can often become reality. People can start to believe what they have read in magazines and like Mackenzie points out, “many women are able to assimilate themselves into whatever world they find.”
However, I disagree with Mackenzie when she describes how men do not relate to pop culture. In my opinion they do. There are a lot of guys who will admit to liking “chick flicks” and it’s usually the same reason us girls like them, they give us something to be happy about. Guys can often find an outlet and something they can relate to in movies like that that have strong male leads that go through problems with women just like we go through problems with men. Because of this I don’t think feminists should be offended by pop culture. Men are able to find outlets just as much as women do.
Women absolutely have a different relationship to popular culture than men, particularly because emotions play a large role in the lives of women. As Meg mentioned, women use romantic movies, television shows, and novels as an emotional outlet. These branches of popular culture allow women to escape their hectic reality and enter a world where the worries belong to someone else, whether that is a movie or television character, or a heroine in a novel. Women use popular culture as a means of escapism from the reality of their lives, even if just for a few moments. Jackie Stacey explains that women are, “Not only escaping into the luxury of the cinema and the glamour of Hollywood film, they were also escaping from the hardships and restrictions” (139). I know for me personally, watching TV or reading a romance novel are things that I use when I need to relax. They allow me to think about someone else’s problems, if even for just a short amount of time. It is almost as if popular culture gives us way to feel emotion, without having to confront our own emotions. Women find consolation in the ability to relate to novels, television, or movies.
ReplyDeleteI believe another main reason that women have a special connection to pop culture is due to their own self-image. As Lexie said, men tend to be very self-assured. According to Peter Schwenger, “To think about masculinity is to be less masculine oneself…The real man thinks about practical matters rather than abstract ones and certainly does not brood upon himself or the nature of his sexuality” (159). Men are much less concerned with things such as their appearance or their romantic life. Women on the other hand, need to be reassured, and often turn to popular culture for this reassurance. This is, in part, due to how society raises women versus men. Growing up, women are encouraged to look beautiful, wear dresses, and play with dolls, while boys play sports and video games. Being a boy or girl, “Comes with rules and regulations, which we are expected to follow and obey: ‘little boys do this, little girls do that,’ etc” (161). Women are much more focused on appearance, and the characters in romantic media are usually the ultimate feminine character. Women then believe that this is what they are supposed to look or act like. This comparison is one of the negative consequences of women’s close connection to popular culture.
Women’s connection to popular culture also has positive aspects. Women find pleasure in pop culture and this pleasure can be used as empowerment. In the chapter, Ien Ang, “Argues for seeing pleasure as something which can ‘empower’ women and not as something which always works ‘against their own “real” interests’” (146). Sometimes escaping into a romantic movie or good book is inspiring and good way to relieve stress. Although feminists do not agree that popular culture is positive, I believe that it can actually be healthy. I also agree with Jordyn when she says that men may relate more to popular culture than they let on. It all comes down to the societal “rules” in place for being a man. Men are supposed to be into sports and working out, not chick flicks and romance novels, but I think more men than we know have a soft spot for romance. The difference is, men have a stronger connection with other things and may find escapism somewhere different. Females have a strong relationship to popular culture, and if it is used correctly, it may not always be a bad thing.
Both men and women respond differently to pop culture. Women seem to have a more emotional attachment than men. Or possible they express their emotional relationship more publically than men. Men are not as comfortable in expressing their emotions as women are and therefore this would create a completely different relationship between the two genders. I also agree with Meg and Mackenzie when they say that women look to pop culture as an escape, especially when it comes to movies and novels. Everyone looks to get away from whatever they are dealing with for an hour or to, just to experience something they otherwise would not have the chance to experience. As Stacey said in extent to Dryer’s argument, “the pleasures of cinema expressed by [the women] were always more than the visual and aural pleasures of the cinema text,” (138); women are looking for an experience to dream about and long for.
ReplyDeleteBut women are bombarded everywhere by what they should believe, especially in magazines. Magazines are designed to show women what they want; what they think they need. Advertisements are the best source for this, making everything that is trying to be sold seem as glamorous as possible. At the same time, magazines also try to help women by giving advice on everyday challenges; “Women’s magazines appeal to their readers by means of a combination of entertainment and useful advice,” (153), meaning that they are another source of escape but they can also be helpful all on the same page. Nevertheless, I agree with Fendi when she says that magazines allow “some space for women to have a moment for themselves, to reflect and at times dream about their lives.” No matter how helpful they try to be, magazines are only trying to create a fantasy world for women to become completely engulfed in.
Regardless of the relationships for men and women and pop culture, every individual person is different and cannot be subject to what is generalized about certain genders. And although feminists may believe that women’s relationship with pop culture is a step back for feminism, I believe that the opposite is occurring. This is because there are so many women in this world who do not follow what are considered the norms of pop culture, and at the same time there are many men who fall under these norms. So essentially this proves exactly what feminism is—equality between men and women.
Ah, the classic cinema debate! A couple goes to the movies, and everything is going wonderfully until they hit the much dreaded box-office. Of course, the boyfriend wants to see the new action flick, while the girlfriend sweetly begs to see the hit new rom-com. It is a historic stalemate that proposes a deeper question:
ReplyDeleteDo men and women have different relationships with popular culture?
I think yes. A female’s relationship with pop culture is defined by fantasy. It began when females had no choice but to be domesticated; watching films, reading novels, and viewing TV shows that depicted epic romances and exciting plot lines allowed them to escape from the mundaneness, and probable desolation, of their own lives. Storey, referring to domesticated British women of the 1950s, states on page 138, “the cinema provided a transitional space between everyday life outside the cinema and the fantasy world of the Hollywood film about to be shown”.
In other words, pop culture was a way to escape and to dream. Women love romantic pop culture because it gives them an unrealistic world to hold on to. A world with a Prince Charming and gut-wrenching romance. Therefore, a woman’s relationship with popular culture is more of a need than a voluntary relationship.
I think this need is socialized into us at a very young age. I grew up playing with Barbies; I imagined a romance between Ken and Barbie countless times throughout my childhood. I created an epic romance because I had complete control over the dolls; as I aged, I wanted to re-create that control by entering the fantasy created through pop culture. Storey quotes Butler on page 161, “‘Gender is the repeated stylization of the body, a set of repeated acts…’” Therefore, it can be argued that the act of continually playing with dolls, instead of, say, action figures, created my female gender. Our femininity is not born- it’s socialized into us. Because gender is a byproduct of continued actions, I believe our ‘female’ relationship with popular culture (one that craves control and a fantastic outlet), is created, and very present in our modern culture. I also agree with Holly; as girls, we are not only socialized to play with certain things, but to appear a certain way as well. We are supposed to dress delicately and frilly as little girls, which allows us to empathize with the beautiful women in romantic comedies. It is easier to escape into a world in which you relate to the main character.
I think that fact that femininity is not born into us is an aid to feminists. Many romantics have argued that it is ‘only natural’ for girls to love romance; I say that love is not a byproduct of God’s work, but of our culture. Therefore, feminists can present the argument that a love of romance is not a trait genetically engineered into females, and something that could potentially be avoided.
In today’s society, it can be impossible to please the vast array of feminists’ demands. Females have developed a tendency to escape into the fantasy world of Hollywood and fulfill their missing needs. Women’s dependency on and sometimes obsession with pop culture is viewed negatively by some feminists, due to its support of “patriarchy, escapism from the real world, and consumerism” (137). In addition, it presents a problem, since men absolutely aren’t showing the same appreciation, but are even sometimes mocking it. Although, I’m not sure if reading twenty five romance novels a week is beneficial, is female interest in pop culture all that unhealthy and destructive?
ReplyDeleteThe world of Hollywood is fake, but can certainly become real to some females who depend on it to fulfill their needs. As Meg states, some females tune in to cinemas and soap operas, and read romance novels to temporarily distract themselves from life’s stresses. In addition, Mackenzie admits to relating and connecting to the characters in some television shows. This seems pretty natural. But it’s when women go to these escapes due to dissatisfaction with their own lives, that presents a question. Radway claims that most females “desire to be nurtured, protected, and emotionally fulfilled.” In addition, she suggests three ways these desires can be satisfied: “lesbianism, finding a man, or some other way,” such as reading a romance novel (143).
Some women read romance novels to feel “reciprocated” by a nurturing male role. According to Radway, this male character allows a woman to feel excited, satisfied, content, confident, proud, and powerful (144). In these cases, romance novels become another “dimension” of a females’ lives (149). I don’t believe that this relationship is necessarily unhealthy, but I do wish it didn’t have to become a female’s dependency.
Lastly, I believe it’s important to not look down upon soap operas, cinemas, and romance novels, but simply incorporate them and study them, just like our class does. Feminists against women’s interest in pop culture must understand that females don’t have to act like men, if men aren’t attracted towards it. Females can use the same outlets as men, and males can use similar outlets as females. Mackenzie and Fendi propose a great question, as they wonder if men using physical outlets as opposed to pop culture is simply forced upon them. Lastly, it is just one perception to believe that pop culture gives women a bad representation. We all have our own effective ways of acquiring our own needs.
I agree with Rakow’s statement "women have a particular relationship to popular culture that is different than men's" (136). I feel like although both men and women enjoy popular culture, women are more open about it. I think this is because, as Holly said, “emotions play a large role in the lives of women.” In the article, it says “for a man to think about masculinity is to become less masculine oneself (159)”; while this is untrue in my opinion, I think most men feel it is a true statement. I’ve noticed that men are usually reluctant to admit they like ‘chick flicks’ or anything relating to emotion, which in turn gives them a different relationship with pop culture. Their relationship with it is one of distance and mockery while women tend to have a different relationship with pop culture. I agree with Meg when she says “though it is obvious that this relationship exists, I believe that it is quite difficult, if not impossible, to define because of the fact that this relationship is unique to each individual woman.”
ReplyDeleteFor me, I use television shows, movies and reading to escape for a little while from my real life. Although I know these things aren’t always realistic, I enjoy them and take pleasure in the parts of them I can relate to. I think women often enjoy pop culture because it is relatable in some way to their own life. I agree with Modleski’s statement that “mass produced fantasies for women speak to very real problems and tensions in women’s lives (140).” Modern feminists, however, would disagree with this; for example, feminists tend to view people who watch soap operas as naïve. I feel like, for the most part, feminists stick to their own radical belief that women should act like men in order to be equals with them and they try to push away things like pop culture.
I believe that women have a very unique relationship with popular culture. Although each woman has different views about popular culture, in one way or another each woman is affected by it. Popular culture, in my opinion, is geared towards women and their desires. On the contrary, men do not seem to be as heavily influenced by popular culture. As far as I know magazines are not being flashed at men at every convenience store across the country stating that they should “do this” or “look like that” in order to achieve happiness. Janice Winship states that each magazine in its different way attempts to draw the reader into the world of the magazine, and ultimately into a world of consumption. This often leads to women ‘being caught up in defining their own femininity, inextricably, through consumption’ (39). The media in today’s society has become more and more about what images and headlines will sell on the cover of magazines than the actual content of the magazine or the way that it could and will affect women. I am a fan of popular culture in general, but not when it comes to the media and their portrayal of women in today's society.
ReplyDeleteI strongly agree with Holly’s statement that sometimes escaping into a romantic movie or good book is inspiring and good way to relieve stress. One letter to Ien Ang stated about the show Dallas: ‘Sometimes I really enjoy having a good cry with them. And why not? In this way my other bottled-up emotions find an outlet’ (49). In general, women tend to have more emotions that they need to express, and they can do so through various outlets. Men tend to find escapism through other activities, such as sports. I feel that this is partially due to the way we were raised with rules and regulations about what we could and could not do by being a specific gender.
Tania Modleski said that ‘students occasionally cut their women’s studies classes to find out what is going on in their favourite soap opera. When this happens, it is time for us to stop merely opposing soap operas and to start incorporating them, and other mass-produced fantasies, into our study of women’ (113-14). This quote really struck me because of how well it relates to our class this quarter. Overall, I believe that feminism and popular culture are not necessarily totally opposites, but certain aspects of popular culture are sending the wrong messages to women. Even if women go to something within the guidelines of ‘popular culture’ as an outlet, it does not mean it will not affect their views and opinions, whether consciously or unconsciously.
In todays society, women and mens relationships to pop culture are extremely different. We see this through the media aiming different ads, television shows, magazines etc. at opposite sexes. The reason why hollywood and other media sources can get away with this is because of the gender studies that have shown us what each sex wants/needs. There is a reason why romance novels are written in spite of what feminists may have to say about them. The reason is that they sell because they fulfill needs for women. Rosalind Coward says, "Romantic fiction is surely popular because it ... restores the childhood world of sexual relations and suppresses criticisms of the inadequacy of men, the suffocation of the family, or the damage inflicted by patriarchal power." (141). Coward is describing the multiple aspects of a woman's life that a romance novel can fulfill at least temporarily. Pop culture such as romance novels are helping to instill positive feelings/fantasies and push aside painful realities.
ReplyDeleteThe notion of hiding from reality goes along with Jordyn's statement that pop culture is a sort of "escape" for women. Pop culture provides women with an outlet from their daily lives. It also acts as a support system in the sense that women can experience reading or viewing women go through similar problems. When women watch shows such as "Dallas" they can relate the fictional plot to their own struggles. "Part of the pleasure of Dallas is quite clearly connected to the amount of fluidity viewers are able or willing to establish between its fictional world and the world of their day-to-day existence." (149). When women can view other fictional women go through similar problems it helps them feel that they too can resolve the problems in their lives. I agree with Holly that pop culture empowers women. It gives them the confidence that they are not alone and they too can overcome the hardships that come their way.
Women's relationship with pop culture has not pleased everyone. There are still feminists who are opposed to the outlets that pop culture has provided our gender. Similarly, there are those that study what this article called the "queer theory" that believe that, "one is not born female, one becomes female; but even more radically, one can if one chooses, become neither female nor male, woman nor man." (161). In my life I believe I do utilize pop culture outlets to fulfill my needs/wants, escape, and give myself confidence. However, my relationship with pop culture is not the same as every other female and I agree with the queer theory that it is the job of the female to give into the pop culture norms or not.
Rakow believes that “women have a particular relationship to popular culture that is different than men’s” (136). That “particular relationship” differs in multiple ways. If we look at it in the way women approached popular culture in the aspect of cinema, we can see that one of the reasons women approach cinema, the Hollywood life is what Stacey describes as “escapism”(137). Women approached this popular culture by escaping from the war (137). Men on the other hand didn’t run away from war, they faced it. When approaching the cinema life it wasn’t to escape. Women read novels allot. Women’s relationship to pop culture is about trying to fit in, or getting away from the real world into a fantasy.
ReplyDeleteWe can see that created fantasize not only in cinema world , as Stacy mentions “stars can generate fantasies of power, control and self-confidence”(139), there also in women who spend elven to fifteen hours reading there romantic novels(142) fantasizing about a romance that is not there. Women have developed allot of their popular culture around fantasies vs reality.
Men on the other hand, there pop culture is not surrounded by fantasies, but on “practical matters than abstracts” (159). Men’s masculinity is being impacted by pop culture in a sense that it keeps making there ideals, and who they are stronger. Sean Nixon explains how it is being represented by tv, magazines, adverting and several others. (159). I agree with Rakow words. Women do have a different relationship to pop culture then men. Women relationship to pop culture is a fantasize off a change they desire, compared to men its more about enforcing who they are and standing up to it.
I can see this difference in relationship from my own life. I am not a romantic reader, or tend to fantasize about a different world, I tend to focus on what I want and make it happen, if its school, or romance, or family. I don’t understand why girls fantasize allot, if that effort was put into their life, I don’t think there would be constant need of a fantasize.
I have to agree with Meg when she says “men do not view popular culture as a refuge like women do, but simply something that has always been present and always will be.” Men don’t refuge on popular culture, it can be by the way pop culture is created or it can be on the fact on what women needs are vs a mans need.
I disagree with Holly when she mentioned that pop culture is an empowerment. I do believe it can be used as an empowerment, but in my perspective it’s more of damage then a benefit. We shouldn’t relay on what society offers us though pop culture to empower us, we shouldn’t depend on a TV show, or a romantic novel to empower us to become what we want.
Women do have a "particular" relationship to pop-culture, one that is a force driven by society itself. The particular relationship between women and pop culture is, like everyone else has mentioned, the fantasy of it all. Whether it's Dallas, the hit drama of the eighty's, or Fifty Shades of Grey, many women yearn for that fantasy romance popular culture has idolized. It does not matter if it's music, movies, books, or magazines, women are groomed to act/look a certain way.
ReplyDeleteMany feminists believe that reading women's magazines are pushing many feminist ideals backwards. Author Janice Winship explains that she, along with other feminists are, "closest" readers (153). Popular culture has diminished what it is to be a woman so much that many feminists are too ashamed to even admit that they read women's magazines or romance novels.
I personally agree with everyone about Stacey's concept of escapism. Stacey did a study where a group of British women, all aged over sixty and cinema go-ers, were studied on why they went to the movies during the 1930's-1940's. “Escapism is one of the most frequently cited reasons given by women for going to the cinema” (137). This connects not only to eighty years ago, but also to today. It is fascinating that many women have the same relationship with popular culture back then as they do now.
Pop culture is inevitable to sway our society in some way, whether that is in a positive or negative way, I don't think anyone can really attest to. All we can do is empower ourselves and those around us. I agree with Alexandra that we cannot rely on popular culture to empower us, but at the same time, it's not wrong if it does.
Women do have a particularly different relationship to popular culture than men. First, women use films and cinema in search of “escapism, identification d consumerism” (136). They want to escape the hardships or drabness of reality for a few hours so that they could enjoy a fantasy world. For identification, Stacey states “film texts are said to position female spectators in the interest of patriarch”(139). I however, disagree with this statement, because I don’t necessarily believe that women are groomed in order to look up to the patriarch within in their life, but rather to identify with other women that may be in the same position as them and to analyze how they might react differently to certain things that the female spectator might react to. I believe that radical feminists may have an issue with this statement mainly because it portrays women as being easily swayed towards a male superior.
ReplyDeleteShows such as Dallas that are clearly over-dramatized and unrealistic also make a female’s perception of pop culture very different from a man’s. Dallas connects to the female audience on a more connotation connection rather than the narrative denotation (148). Women are able to watch this show about Texan millionaires and think of something that the narrative of the story line can identify within their own lives. For example passion, anger and hate are all emotional elements that are part of the screenplay of Dallas, but these emotions also exist within the lives of ordinary citizens. This form of “deluding”reality differs from the way males look at pop culture. In men studies, “a real man thinks out practical things rather than abstract”(159). Thus, the author believes that women are more prone to distorting reality and not being practical than men. I highly disagree with this statement. Women and men both use pop culture in order to slightly delude their reality. For example, I agree with how Aly set up the “movie date night scenario”. Although women are more likely to delude themselves by going to a romantic comedy, men are more likely to delude reality by enjoying an action packed movie. This statement clearly will anger feminists, because it once again implies that women are more likely to be delude reality than men, when in actuality both men and women have specific niches that equally delude them both.
However, although I believe that both men and women are heavily influenced by pop culture, in terms of women’s magazines I agree with Erin’s statement. Erin states that women are more likely to be pressured, through women’s magazines, to be and act in a specific manner than men who read men’s magazines.